Traditional rulers urged to secure domains

A renowned security expert, Dr Ona Ekhomu, has urged traditional rulers to be at the forefront of efforts to secure their domains.

He said exercising purposeful leadership in security management of their respective communities would enhance the legitimacy of the traditional institution and contribute to national security.

Ekhomu stated this at the national conference on ‘Culture, Peace and National Security: The Role of Traditional Rulers,’ organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation in Ibadan, Oyo State, a statement said on Wednesday.

He urged traditional rulers to take ownership of the security management of their domains, saying they must harness the resources available in the security architecture of their communities.

Ekhomu, who is the President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, added that the traditional institution must support law enforcement agencies in the areas of logistics and welfare.

He said, “The traditional authorities must also engage in information gathering because if information is provided and a security breach occurs, the rulers can then take the security agencies to task.

“Traditional rulers must use their influential and privileged positions to forge a symbiotic relationship between the security agencies and their subjects.”

The security expert advised royal fathers to maintain a record of security incidents in their communities to enable them to conduct probability analysis of the occurrence of loss events.

Ekhomu advised the rulers to name and shame families of “confirmed armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists. They should be like the ruler of Obosi town in Anambra State where violent criminals who are killed will not be given proper burial.”

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